Blow that dough (It's official now)

[pb4uski]

For decades a SIL and BIL have hosted the large Christmas dinner and paid for most, if not all, of the food. We'd of course bring a side dish but they paid for the bulk of it. Although they have pensions, their income is now less than one-half of what it was and they've been having a hard time adjusting.

So for the last few years we've sprung for the spiral cut Honeybaked Ham that for some reason SIL feels is necessary and traditional at that dinner. So now that $90 (delivered) 10 lb. ham is in the refrigerator thawing. It's good ham, but I am hard put to tell the difference between that and the ones we can buy for less than half that price at any of the local grocery stores. But what the hey, it's once a year, we can easily afford it, it makes her feel good and we like them, and we do enjoy seeing everyone at the party.

So here's to Honeybaked Ham!

+1 My uncle who will be having Christmas dinner with us can't have ham due to dietary restrictions... DW had had me buy one a week or so ago and we had forgot about his restrictions... so that will go in the freezer... she bought a small piece of ribeye roast to try and we had it tonight and it was delicious so I told her that we should get a bigger one for Christmas and she hedges and says it is $8/pound... my response... so what, only $40 for the 5 of us and its Christmas!

Robbie is rubbing off on us.

 

[MRG]

Christmas is but once a year. So in honor of the blow that dough, dinner for two is 4.5 pounds of the biggliest king crabs.

These were 39 bucks a pound. Whoo hoo..

Thanks Robbie.

 

[aja8888]

Well, we could all buy several of these;


https://www.teeshirtpalace.com/prod...zcybviMlaEb2fuzYAZJL03tLbtWdux1hoCAFcQAvD_BwE

Very nice !! Thanks you!! I am ordering a few of these.

 

[Brat]

We're doing our part. Upcoming ski trip to Whistler/Blackcomb in feb, first class air, slopeside lodging & all the perks.

February? Piker! My extended family of 8 just arrived, we will join them Saturday. The cost of lodging alone choked me.

 

[Brat]

My only daughter's wedding was in Oregon, two weeks before I retired. I had set my retirement date years before, and did not want to change it. And, she could only get the location reserved on that date. Oh well, it all worked out although I felt like I was 110 years old by the time I had her married off and I was retired. ...

.

Weddings are very stressful for the parents... Count yourself lucky, few Oregon weddings break their parent's bank.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm doing my share. Just bought 2 iPhone x's.

 

[W2R]

I'm doing my share. Just bought 2 iPhone x's.

Whew! Two? That'll do it.

Blow that dough!

 

[RobbieB]

Awww, you guys are warming the cockles of my heart.

Yes, tis the season to Blow That Dough -

 

[NW-Bound]

If spending brings joy - spend. As a contrarian, google "year of spending nothing". I paw through drawers hunting something and find piles of stuff we bought and haven't used. Possessions just weigh me down. I do note that many here spend on experiences, which seems different.

That makes 2 of us.

My spending this year is the lowest since I fully retired 5 years ago. Not finding anything that excites me enough to blow my dough on. We went on a 6-week road trek through Europe earlier this year. I spent some money on my electronics hobby, but it does not amount to much.

A relative just sent me another Cognac bottle today. Nothing for me to blow money on.

Nah, I just keep the dough to count it everyday.

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

This Blow that Dough is becoming a thing. I filled up at Bucee's yesterday ( guess you have to be from Texas to fully understand) and I went inside. They had a large display of 2009 Dom Perignon for $157 bucks right next to the tamales.

 

[NW-Bound]

That's a new thing.

Champagne + caviar is out.

Champagne + tamales is in.

PS. I should write to them to suggest a new motto: "Dom Pérignon - It's not just for caviar anymore".

 

[Scuba]

Yeah without the break its not as attractive to hold onto HELOC if you had no other reason. One of the clients I advise is thinking of doing this as well.

We got it in 2014 while we were still w*rking. Main reason was to have available credit if needed after ER. Drew on it to help pay for an extensive remodel of our condo. Have paid off about 2/3 already but was keeping the rest outstanding as it was cheap debt. But now the rate is about a point higher than when we started and with losing tax deductibility, cost will be 5.3% and will rise as rates do. My threshold rate was 5-5.5% and I’m not aware of another way to get a guaranteed return of over 5%.

 

[GravitySucks]

So for the last few years we've sprung for the spiral cut Honeybaked Ham that for some reason SIL feels is necessary and traditional at that dinner. So now that $90 (delivered) 10 lb. ham is in the refrigerator thawing. It's good ham, but I am hard put to tell the difference between that and the ones we can buy for less than half that price at any of the local grocery stores. !

DM used to want Honey baked and I never saw the benefit.
I found a Polish butcher who cures her own hams 60 miles away. (Dear Dog questions why I don't marry her.) Every Easter I take a day trip with DM and buy a fantastic ham for $60. With the travel and lunch out I'm sure it adds up to more than a Honetbaked, but man does it taste good. Plus a joy to spend a few hours with Mom at this late stage of her life.

 

[Winemaker]

My homemade apple/hickory smoked hams can't be beat, so I'm told. It's not that hard to do, it just takes a little time like anything else that's good. There's a lot of satisfaction after the aromas of smoke are gone, my kids and grandkids love it, as well as the bacon.

 

[RobbieB]

As I drove over to my girlfriend's house for supper last night, I noticed that about half of the homes had outside Christmas lights. Compared to about 10% of years back.

This is just a Kaufman & Broad working class tract house neighborhood, not the ritz.

Good to see my neighbors in a more affluent condition and Blowing That Dough -

 

[Lsbcal]

Maybe a good combination is:
1) increase spending as portfolio goes up in real terms beyond your expectations
2) move some stock % to fixed income (bonds or cash) to reduce risk

Well somebody’s got to be sober here with all these wild spenders coming out of the woodwork.

 

[Christine]

I'm using the VPW spreadsheet from Bogleheads (Variable Percentage Withdrawal) and the sum keeps growing each year. Not surprisingly after I sold my flat next year will be another high.

And I did my best today! My brother is coming over for Christmas and I bought a $120 lump of our favourite cold cuts to be enjoyed for the week.

What I haven't budgeted for living/travelling etc I put in a silly-spending category in YNAB. And even after upping the travel money category I still have to spend about $50 on silliness every day. I can be quite silly but really!

 

[NW-Bound]

As I drove over to my girlfriend's house for supper last night, I noticed that about half of the homes had outside Christmas lights. Compared to about 10% of years back.

This is just a Kaufman & Broad working class tract house neighborhood, not the ritz.

Good to see my neighbors in a more affluent condition and Blowing That Dough -

Yes, one can look at Christmas decorations and knows how well the economy is doing.

The recent Halloween, many of the homes in my neighborhood were going gun ho with decorations and animated ghoulie characters, the works! We took a stroll around the neighborhood, and boy, it was like a block party out there. Kids from nearby areas were trick-or-treating, milling around and having a good time with their parents.

With my "superior memory", I could still recount the dark days of 2008-2009 when it was sad and gloomy, people out of work, unsold homes getting abandoned and repossessed... Such is the economic cycle.

 

[Walt34]

Robbie is rubbing off on us.

Yep, one of those guys my Mom warned me about - "He'll be a bad influence on you!"

 

[aja8888]

I'm doing my share. Just bought 2 iPhone x's.

Wow!!

Dilley Dilley!!

 

[MRG]

Yep, one of those guys my Mom warned me about - "He'll be a bad influence on you!"[emoji23]

I know, down to the name. Mom wouldn't let me hang with Robbie cause we got in too much trouble together.

 

[txtig]

I did my part this year. Brand new 38’ motorhome and a brand new Jeep Wrangler to tow behind it. Thinking about a new (or slightly used) pontoon boat in 2018. Dilley dilley!!!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I'm still in my first year of ER but with an inheritance that didn't figure into my initial decision to RE and the YTD returns of the market so far, I'm way ahead of where I ever thought I'd be at this point. Even with a cash purchase of a top-model 2017 Honda Ridgeline and one trip we're just barely hitting the spending level FireCalc says I can have at a 95% success rate. That doesn't include my future SS benefits.

I want to say "Wh***!" but I hear that's a sure way to jinx things.

 

[W2R]

I know, down to the name. Mom wouldn't let me hang with Robbie cause we got in too much trouble together. ��

I had a friend like that in high school, who lived nearby. Her name was Terri and her mom said I was a bad influence on her, and my mom said she was a bad influence on me!!! We never got in any trouble, though, despite our mothers' fears. We had a lot of innocent fun of the type that mothers find scary, such as flirting with neighborhood boys and learning our first mild swear words and such. But all that never led to anything and we were just having fun. Those were the days.

 

[W2R]

I'm still in my first year of ER but with an inheritance that didn't figure into my initial decision to RE and the YTD returns of the market so far, I'm way ahead of where I ever thought I'd be at this point. Even with a cash purchase of a top-model 2017 Honda Ridgeline and one trip we're just barely hitting the spending level FireCalc says I can have at a 95% success rate. That doesn't include my future SS benefits.

I want to say "Wh***!" but I hear that's a sure way to jinx things.

I dunno, it only worked that once for me back in 2007... but boy did it work!